Report of the Semester Conversion Task Force - California State ...

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Semester Conversion Task Force ReportAppendix: List of RecommendationsID Recommendation PageCONV-1 We recommend a calendar of two semesters. Each will include 14 weeks of instructional 12days, one week for finals, and up to one week of non-instructional days for such holidaysas Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and spring break. Some other holidays—such as Veteran’sDay and César Chavez Day—may be taken on instructional days.We recommend the dates in Table 2 for the fall semesters. We recommend that the springsemester begin the last Monday of January and end in mid-May. (Because of Leap Year,a similar table for spring terms would require twice as many columns. With fewerconstraints, however, that level of detail need not be displayed here.)CONV-2 We recommend that departments be granted the flexibility to schedule classes during 14fractional terms—e.g., a course may be offered during a 7 week half-term.CONV-3 We recommend the modules in Table 4 and 4a for class sessions. 14CONV-4 Departments (a) bring their programs to state-of-the-art standards within their disciplines, 16(b) develop learning outcomes for students who will graduate from their programs, and(c) identify how their programs achieve those learning outcomes.CONV-5 That when the University Educational Policy Committee (EPC) review proposed program 16changes it give special attention to the following: Is the program consistent with the overallmission of its college and the University? Does the program differ sufficiently from otherprograms to avoid redundancy? Does the program have identified learning outcomes?Does the program indicate how the learning outcomes are tied to the curriculum?CONV-6 Pre-enrollment. Students most in need of intrusive advisement—typically first generation, 16unprepared, or undecided student—be contacted early and be required to participate inpre-enrollment activities.Additionally, all freshmen and transfer students be assigned to advisors upon admissionand be required to meet with them during orientation.CONV-7 First year. Upon completion of the mandatory orientation program, students identified as 17most at-risk participate in three mandatory advising sessions during the first semester.Also, all students be required to meet with advisors for General Education (G.E.)advisement and an overview of University requirements during their first year.Encourage students who expect to begin major courses during their first year to meetwith a major advisor.CONV-8 Second year through graduation. For students engaged in their majors, a case manage- 17ment approach to advisement in which departmental faculty advisors follow a cohort ofadvisees until graduation. Advisors must be trained in and be knowledgeable aboutdevelopmental advisement, transportation, financial aid, employment, housing, familyissues, childcare, etc.37
Semester Conversion Task Force ReportID Recommendation PageCONV-9 In consultation with ITS, the purchase and integration of communication software very 17early in the conversion process. Such software (e.g. content management system) willfurther enable current, cost-effective University-wide communication. A content managementsystem for the University website could reduce time/labor for manual review andupdate of roughly 250,000+ web pages within the www.calstatela.edu site.CONV-10 We recommend that departments be granted the flexibility to schedule classes during 19fractional terms—e.g., a course may be offered during a 7 week half-term.CONV-11 The Senate create a Student Communications Committee that includes members from 19the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, ASI (or representative student members),Public Affairs, and Undergraduate Studies-University Advisement—along with a representativeof the Senate itself. If the Office of Public Affairs re-establishes the UniversityCommunications Board, also recommended, then at least one member of that Boardshould also serve on this committee. The committee’s charge will include ascertainingthat prospective, new, and continuing student problems and concerns regarding communicationof semester conversion changes, policies and procedures, as well as proposingsolutions to such problems and concerns to appropriate administrators.CONV-12 In coordination with University Advisement an updated and interactive advisement web 19page, as well as ongoing Academic Success Workshops.CONV-13 Significantly increase front-line staff to provide more personalized services to students. 20Such a move would not only provide a personal touch but would assist students in navigatingwhat may appear to be a challenging, impersonal process.CONV-14 An effective working environment for staff be provided by equipping facilities so that they 20are ergonomically correct to facilitate a productive workforce, including state-of-the-arttechnology.CONV-15 The automation of as many processes as possible by placing forms and documents online 20and conducting online reviews. We recommend that the forms be ADA-compliant toprotect the health of students, staff, and faculty.CONV-16 Link current stand-alone database systems (e.g., EOP, Blackboard/WebCT, or the 20equivalent Learning Management System) to GET so that a modification of one willautomatically propagate to the other.CONV-17 Improved user friendliness of the campus web pages to facilitate ease of 20navigation and information retrieval.CONV-18 We recommend that the University take advantage of semester conversion to (a) upgrade 20any outdated systems, (b) integrate any isolated systems (e.g., Blackboard/WebCT orthe equivalent Learning Management System), (c) establish a more effective alignmentbetween the needs of the faculty and the goals of the Division of Information TechnologyServices, (d) further the loosely coupled integration of CSULA systems with CSUsystems, and (e) prepare the University’s IT framework for the inevitable changes thecoming years will bring.CONV-19 We recommend that CSULA adopt Executive Order No. 1033 as its GE requirements: 2148 semester units in Sections A through E, at least 9 units of which must be upper division.38
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